Bird egg ID.

[blacktimberwolf]

Found a ground nest today & thought you might like to try & ID it........I know what it is as I saw the birds fly off.....it was a daft place to make a nest as there is plenty of human activity at the site, especially as there is an island on the other side of the river where ni man nor dog go this time of year.(upper left hand of the first photo)

The nest is at the bottom of the pic...........

& the eggs...they were about 2/3 the size of a hen's egg. There were orignally six eggs but the dog had two before I realised what he was up to....

 

[Barn Owl]

mallard?..

 

[blacktimberwolf]

OK I'll put you all out of ya misery .....Yep Barn owl is right.... Did anyone spot the nonsensical thing I typed at the begining of the post ? I've only just seen it!

 

[Barn Owl]

All appears perfectly lucid to me?
not that,that goes for much...

 

[nuggets]

check on them again tomorrow the scent of your dog may have made the mallard desert the nest !

 

[blacktimberwolf]

check on them again tomorrow the scent of your dog may have made the mallard desert the nest !

Most birds have a feeble, if any at all, sense of smell...................It's more likely human disturbance that will 'deter' them from continuing to nest there......& I can't see a passing fox or rat refusing an easy meal. I will check on them tomorrow though.